Encouraging Innovative Pain Research

This could be you!

In a nutshell about the EFIC-GRÜNENTHAL Grant

Anja
Lehmann

EFIC-GRÜNENTHAL Grant

Encouraging innovative pain research projects

Since 2004, Grünenthal GmbH in cooperation with the European Pain Federation EFIC® supports young scientists at an early stage of their experimental projects on clinical or human volunteer-based pain research. The EFIC-GRÜNENTHAL Grant is 200,000 EUR biennially, research grants are valued at up to EUR 40,000 per project.

Research grants are intended for clinical and human experimental pain research. Research proposals on animals, computer simulations, cell lines etc. will not be considered. The decision on awarding of grants is made independently by the Committee on Scientific Research of the European Pain Federation EFIC®.

Grünenthal as a pain specialist appreciates the fruitful exchange of information and experience with promising junior scientists. It helps us to identify treatment gaps and issues as well as potential solutions for new medications.

E-G-G’s goal is to promote pain research on a long-term basis. With the grant, Grünenthal demonstrates its commitment and ability to go beyond the horizon of short-term commercial interests.

Dr Christopher Brown, Department of Psychological Science at the University of Liverpool Photo: Grünenthal/M. Kovic

Dr Christopher Brown appreciates the flexibility of the E-G-G grant:

„The over-arching theme of my current research is to identify mechanisms of pathological nociceptive neuroplasticity in chronic pain and develop clinically practical technologies for their detection.

The E-G-G funding was essential to help us start this investigation in patients suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It was particularly helpful that there was flexibility in how we used the funds from the award, as this helped keep the project moving forward as circumstances changed. In particular, since starting the project at the University of Cambridge, I moved institutions to the University of Liverpool, and the funding has enabled me to maintain close ties with Cambridge by funding regular visits to help manage the project. Being awarded the E-G-G also no doubt contributed to my ability to secure a tenured position in Liverpool. I have used the opportunities provided by this move to secure further funding from the UK charity Arthritis Research UK for a closely related project using similar methodology in a broader range of patients (arthritis and fibromyalgia).

The E-G-G funding has therefore helped to catalyse the beginnings of a research programme that I believe will lead to major advances in the field.“

Dr Jamila Andoh Photo: Grünenthal/Marko Kovic

Dr Jamila Andoh, winner of en E-G-G in 2014 tells:

„The EFIC-Grünenthal Grant award was an important step in my scientific career. It provided me with the opportunity to follow my own ideas and carry on my own research. It also opened me other opportunities to obtain further grants and to become a group leader." Further she boils the relevance of the E-G-G down: „Being part of this community offers unique challenges and opportunities for my scientific career.”

Prof. Andrea Truini Photo: Grünenthal/Marko Kovic

Prof. Andrea Truini presented his research results of the in 2014 awarded project in Copenhagen during the Symposium „New Findings in Clinical Pain Research“.

He underlined:

„EFIC-Grünenthal Grant gave me the opportunity to develop a research project on the role of non-nociceptive A-beta fibres in spontaneous pain. Our experiments showed that the selective stimulation of A-beta fibres, using low-intensity, high-frequency electrical stimulation, produces paroxysmal pain in healthy humans.“